Unitized packaging loads are typically wrapped in film to contain a number of smaller units into a larger unit for simplicity of shipping. The wrapped packaging loads are loaded onto transportation vehicles and moved to a desired location. During transportation or loading, the wrapped loads are often subject to damage, amounting for billions of dollars of damages industry-wide.
Damage can result from improperly or inadequately wrapped loads. Loads are often wrapped with too little film or improperly placed wrapping. As such, the load can shift or move during loading or transportation operations, causing collapse of the wrapped load. Such collapses can cause further unforeseen other damages.
Typical film wrapping equipment does not account for a variety of aspects of the load to be wrapped, the film to be used, or the transportation characteristics the load will be subjected to. Aspects such as weight, size, transportation methods or differing film properties are not taken into consideration. As such, the human user tasked with wrapping the load or operating the wrapping equipment must guess at how much containment force or wrapping pattern characteristics are adequate, often providing too much or too little film to at least a portion of the load. Furthermore, automatic mechanical wrapping equipment often improperly wraps the load, having too much film around the top and bottom of the load while inadequately wrapping the middle of the load.